750k for one season isn't bad if you can get decent production out of him. Another low-risk, high reward signing for the Phillies.

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Low-risk from a monetary perspective? Sure. However, this is a player who is notorious for being a dick both on the field, in the clubhouse, and away from the ballpark. I don't know the true impact of chemistry on a team's performance, but Young is certainly someone that earns a clear 'F' in that course. And, considering the cost, it should be somewhat startling and/or disconcerting that the Tigers let him walk away.

And high-reward ... really? In six full Major League seasons, Young has been an above-average offensive player exactly once - and that was in 2010. His wRC+ ranked 52nd out of 58 qualified outfielders last season, and three of the players behind him have significant value in the outfield and on the basepaths ... two areas in which Young is awful. And that wasn't a 'down year' for Young, either - he's 51st out of 56 qualified outfielders over the last two seasons.

Best-case scenario? Young doesn't get suspended and manages to be a replacement-level player, despite significantly hurting the team on the bases and with his glove.

the "smart" (given the horrible circumstances, but still) thing would have been to platoon him in LF with ruf. not that i buy into ruf's 27-year-old AA season at all, but if he was going to enter the season as the starting LF, it'd be better to at least platoon him with young, and play brown in RF all season long. instead, amaro has come out and given the RF job young. i can't remember worse handling of a prospect than the phillies have handled brown.